The Big Rig

Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, Labour & Industrial Relations, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book The Big Rig by Steve Viscelli, University of California Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Steve Viscelli ISBN: 9780520962712
Publisher: University of California Press Publication: April 12, 2016
Imprint: University of California Press Language: English
Author: Steve Viscelli
ISBN: 9780520962712
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication: April 12, 2016
Imprint: University of California Press
Language: English

Long-haul trucks have been described as sweatshops on wheels. The typical long-haul trucker works the equivalent of two full-time jobs, often for little more than minimum wage. But it wasn’t always this way. Trucking used to be one of the best working-class jobs in the United States.  

The Big Rig explains how this massive degradation in the quality of work has occurred, and how companies achieve a compliant and dedicated workforce despite it. Drawing on more than 100 in-depth interviews and years of extensive observation, including six months training and working as a long-haul trucker, Viscelli explains in detail how labor is recruited, trained, and used in the industry. He then shows how inexperienced workers are convinced to lease a truck and to work as independent contractors. He explains how deregulation and collective action by employers transformed trucking’s labor markets--once dominated by the largest and most powerful union in US history--into an important example of the costs of contemporary labor markets for workers and the general public.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Long-haul trucks have been described as sweatshops on wheels. The typical long-haul trucker works the equivalent of two full-time jobs, often for little more than minimum wage. But it wasn’t always this way. Trucking used to be one of the best working-class jobs in the United States.  

The Big Rig explains how this massive degradation in the quality of work has occurred, and how companies achieve a compliant and dedicated workforce despite it. Drawing on more than 100 in-depth interviews and years of extensive observation, including six months training and working as a long-haul trucker, Viscelli explains in detail how labor is recruited, trained, and used in the industry. He then shows how inexperienced workers are convinced to lease a truck and to work as independent contractors. He explains how deregulation and collective action by employers transformed trucking’s labor markets--once dominated by the largest and most powerful union in US history--into an important example of the costs of contemporary labor markets for workers and the general public.

More books from University of California Press

Cover of the book Sovereign Feminine by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Masters of Light by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Late Antique Letter Collections by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Experiencing Latin American Music by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Selected Works of D.T. Suzuki, Volume I by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Loft Jazz by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Devoted to Nature by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Science and Sensibility by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book The Hellenistic Far East by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Poverty in America by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Flame and Fortune in the American West by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book The Musical Legacy of Wartime France by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Anatomy of Sound by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Assassination of a Saint by Steve Viscelli
Cover of the book Colonising Egypt by Steve Viscelli
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy